Nissan Pulsar SSS 2015 Review

Nissan has injected excitement into its Series II Pulsar small car range with the hot SSS specification being available in sedan form for the first time, after a lengthy delay. Priced from $26,990 (plus on-road costs) in manual form, the sedan adds $1000 to the cost of the established hatchback variant. Plump for the CVT and the sedan swells to $29,290; $800 up on the CVT hatch.

The latest SSS variant combines the undoubted practicalities of the Pulsar sedan – complete with its 510-litre boot and near-midsize interior proportions – with the feisty turbocharged 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol powerplant.

Similar to the donk found in the rorty Renault Clio RS 200, in Pulsar SSS tune it generates 140kW/240Nm. On paper, that’s down 7Kw on the Renault, but the Nissan tune is well-suited to the car, offering solid punch throughout the range, especially when equipped with the six-speed manual gearbox as fitted to the test car.

For those counting, the sedan is 7kg lighter than its hatchback sibling (1297kg tare against 1304kg for the manuals), however the aero differences between the two bodystyles has the hatch gain the edge in claimed fuel consumption (7.7L/100km plays 7.8). We recorded a decent 8.2L/100km during our week with the car.

Despite their 17-inch diameter, the alloy wheels are only 6.5 inches wide and, fitted with 205-section, 50-profile tyres they lose presence under the relatively large Pulsar sedan body, though it has to be said that the sedan SSS looks less ‘on stilts’ than the hatchback body.

Climb inside (easy, thanks to keyless entry), and as well as pleasant roominess there’s also a lot of kit for the price… especially when you consider the SSS replaces the $29,990, CVT-only, 96kW Pulsar Ti as top dog in the Pulsar line-up. That means there’s leather-accented trim, a CD-capable six-speaker stereo system with USB/iPod/Bluetooth connectivity, 5.8-inch colour touchscreen with satellite navigation and reversing camera and dual-zone climate control.

Occupant safety isn’t discounted either, with front- and side-impact airbags for driver and front passenger, as well as front to rear curtain airbags. Of course, stability control (or ‘Vehicle Dynamic Control’ in Nissan parlance) offers further reassurance as does the suite of traction control, anti-lock brakes and electronic brake-force distribution with brake assist.

Under the myNissan program, Nissan promises servicing certainty for the Pulsar SSS. Service intervals are set at 10,000km or 12 months, whichever comes first. The capped-price program lasts 12 years or 120,000km with pricing varying from a minimum of $258.16 to $490.58 for a major service. The standard three-year or 100,000km warranty applies and three years of roadside assist is included in the purchase price.

With a light clutch and easy-to-operate gearshift, the Pulsar SSS sedan can potter comfortably among the day-to-day, its assisted steering, relatively soft springing, ample boot space and easy ingress/egress demonstrating that its primary functional purpose is well covered.

Moving onto the road, the engine’s torque spread and response remain strong, the engine pulling willingly, smoothly and quietly, though without much aural evidence of its performance potential.

High-speed bumps are also well-supressed from the cabin, though there is the occasional thump over speed humps, and the body doesn’t feel as tied-down as you’d hope, lacking the tauter control of something like a Mazda3 SP25 or the Holden Cruze SRi-V. The cabin itself is roomy with good all-round visibility and comfortable rear-seat occupation, though once more the interior plastics feel less polished than in rivals, such as the inevitable Mazda.

Where the Series 2 Pulsar SSS sedan feels especially different to the hatch-only Series 1 is in the corners. Although Nissan hasn’t detailed specific suspension changes, the SSS sedan appears to lean into corners less than the hatch and use its footprint more completely to deliver better cornering grip and improved traction, though it will still spin up the inside-front if you’re greedy with the throttle.

Overall it does still feel under-tyred and there’s a degree of disjointedness in steering-input-to-response that takes some familiarity to time, but the Pulsar is competent, if not overly exciting; there’s still a feeling that this isn’t the tautest setup, but it sits well enough with Nissan’s warm – as distinct to hot – dynamic aims for the SSS. Brake power and pedal feel are also reasonable without offering mind-bending retardation.

Comfortable, roomy and responsive, the Pulsar SSS sedan works well on the daily school or shopping run. It presents solid value and is reasonably well equipped for the price, but if you’d rather a sportier dynamic experience there remains better options out there.